The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning iPhone and Android users of an ongoing scam and is advising users not to answer certain messages. The scam has been going on since April and involves fraudsters impersonating senior U.S. officials through text messages and AI-generated voice messages.
The scam targets current or former senior U.S. federal or state government officials and their contacts, according to the FBI.
“If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior U.S. official, do not assume it is authentic,” the warning reads.
Scammers use AI-generated voices and text messages to impersonate the official and gain the target’s trust. The scammers hope to gain access to personal accounts by impersonating the known official. As part of the scam, the text will include a malicious link under the guise of transitioning to a separate messaging platform.
The hyperlink will often lead to a login page designed to steal login information.
“Access to personal or official accounts operated by U.S. officials could be used to target other government officials, or their associates and contacts, by using trusted contact information they obtain. Contact information acquired through social engineering schemes could also be used to impersonate contacts to elicit information or funds,” the warning reads.
If you receive a text or voice message that appears to be fake, the FBI says you should take the following actions to verify its authenticity:
To protect yourself from this scam or others, the FBI says you can take the following steps:
If you or someone you know believes they have been a target of this scam or others, the FBI encourages you to report any incident to your local FBI Field Office or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
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